Minesweeping is accomplished by removing, exploding, or neutralizing (making harmless) all mines in a body of water. The earliest method used was countermining, which consisted of blowing up mines with other explosives.

Minesweeping is usually done by specially built ships called minesweepers; helicopters are also used. Minesweepers are shallow-draft vessels with nonmetallic hulls; the engines and fittings are made of nonmagnetic metals, such as stainless steel. Traditionally, hulls have been made of wood, but since the 1980's glass-reinforced plastic, similar to fiberglass, has also been used.

Minesweepers and minesweeping helicopters carry sonic and electronic equipment for locating mines. They also carry mechanical and explosive cutters to sever the mooring lines of mines.

Contact mines are sunk by gunfire when they rise to the surface. Influence mines of the magnetic type are exploded by setting up strong magnetic fields between electrodes trailed at the ends of long cables behind the minesweeper. Mines with acoustic triggering systems are exploded with acoustic hammers (electrically operated devices that produce strong sound waves) towed behind the minesweeper. Mines sensitive to changes in water pressure are sometimes exploded by towing old ships over them.